Poisoning With Time
by Nadako-Mika
Summary: [complete.add more?]He's alone and grieving. As time passes, his heart becomes poisoned and his emotions die out. In the end, the one who caused all the pain falls with him as well. [better sum. inside]


**Summary:** He's alone and grieving. There's no one around to care for him. He's been alone all his life, and he still is. Abused and Ignored, he withdraws from reality. His mind twists with time, and his soul slowly falls. As time passes, his heart becomes poisoned and his emotions die out. In the end, the one who caused all the pain falls with him as well.

****NOTE:** I've redone this story to a certain degree. I've tried my best to pick out the little mistakes I found in here, though..it was done rather quickly ^_^;; I've added a few sentences and wutever other stuff there were too. Enjoy!******

**Nadako:** ^0^ Ah-haha! First actual fic I wrote of Mariku and Malik. XD All the others have been about Bakura or Ryou. Afterall, they are my favorite characters!   
**Mariku:** *snort* So you've rated us SECOND?   
**Nadako:** ' '   
**Mariku:** *glare*   
**Nadako:** =_= Anyways... **WARNING:** Character death and abuse, AND! There's some eh.. Gruesome parts (not too much though).... If you don't like what I've said so far, leave! I don't want flames...*twitch* or I'll personally track you down and kill you!!!   
**Mikalai:** O_O calm down Hikari! Gah... You're more evil than I am -__-   
**Nadako:** =3

**Disclaimer:**   
**Nadako:** *checks pockets* ...$64.52... not enough...damn...

  
  


**Poisoning With Time**   
By: Nadako-Mika

  
  
  


The looming shadows engulfed him, dragging him deeper into their darkness. This is how he lived, how he's lived for many years. He had no heart; it had died on him. His mind was a tangled mess, yet he was perfectly sane. He had no emotions; it all ran out on him. He was nothing, just an empty shell. Just a shadow of his other self. But that would end soon...Oh yes, it would end very soon.

The empty creature watched as his other self twitched and withered for no apparent reason. The man was sprawled out on the ground, limbs bent in odd directions. Suicide? No... he would have chosen a method that would take his life quickly, not painfully slow. Poison? Perhaps. Though, he didn't have anything to eat or drink, a spirit such as himself didn't need it. Then what?

He smiled cruely as he watched his other self twist and wince in agony. His counter self was to have the same fate as him.

'_You brought this onto yourself...Dear yami..._'

---------------------------**-------------------------

"Oh..Hi..um.. "

"It's Malik..." he looked down frowning. They didn't even remember his name?

"Eh..right. Is Mariku here?" the tri-haired boy asked, peering behind the Egyptian's shoulder.

"He's upstairs," Malik answered. He walked away from the door without a care, leaving the door open for Yami and Jounouchi. They could walk in when ever they wanted, he didn't care, neither did his yami.

Malik walked slowly down the stairs that led to the basement. That's where his room was. The dark and dank basement was his room. It never used to be. When Isis was still alive, his room use to be upstairs. But since the passing of his sister, his darker self had forced him into the dark, claiming the luxurious warmth to himself. Malik had been forced into the darkness of the basement, something he never liked. As a child he was deathly afraid of the dark. Even though he had lived in darkness his whole life, he had always needed some source of light. Be it stars or candles, anything that emitted light would do.

The boy drew his knees up to his chest as he sat on his rock hard bed. It was cold, very cold. The walls in his 'room' were paved with cement, water leaking through the tiniest of cracks. He was afraid that the room would flood on a rainy day. Malik walked towards the one window. He drew the curtains quickly, wincing as the bright light stung his eyes. Once his eyes had adapted to the sudden lighting, he peered out the window. He watched sadly as his darker self headed off with his friends.

Why didn't he have any friends? He wasn't bad or evil like his yami, yet Mariku could always make new friends. Was there something about him that made everyone turn there backs? Maybe it was the way he looked. But he looked exactly like his yami, though his hair and eyes were different. Could it be his bad attitude? He scoffed. What attitude? Maybe his shadowed past had frightened everyone. Isis had told Yami and the others the truth about his childhood; how he had lived in the shadows of humanity. How Rashid, his adopted brother, had been made a slave. How his father had been cruel and heartless. And how he had KILLED his father. Were they afraid of him? Did they think he had turned out like his father?

Malik withdrew from the window and sighed heavily. '_Maybe I wasn't meant to have any friends,_' he thought, '_Maybe I was meant to be a loner._'

He stretched out on his moth eaten bed. Everyone was ignoring him. He'd been ignored for quite a while now. The only people who actually acknowledged him was his sister, Isis, and his adopted brother, Rashid. But they were both gone now. Isis had died mysteriously about a year ago, and Rashid had dissappeared in a short amount of time after that. Mariku, his yami, knows he's alive, but chooses to ignore him anyways. Mariku only notices the presence his hikari when Malik had done something wrong. He's always been picking out the Light's flaws.

Malik turned onto his side and sighed heavily. What was he to do now? He wasn't allowed outside, Mariku made sure that rule got through his mind. He wasn't allowed to call anyone; not like there was anyone to call anyways. He wasn't even allowed to answer the door without his yami's permission. Mariku had forbid him from any contact with the outside world. Every single day he was stuck in the house, not even allowed to turn on the television. He had stayed in his room for a long time now; he had lost count of the days. Was this some sort of punishment?

The bathroom light was switched on. Malik flinched again at the sudden amount of light. He turned the squeaky tap and watched as the water flowed unevenly from it. He caught some of the water in his hands and splashed it onto his face. It was cool to the touch. As he turned the tap off, he looked at his reflection. He frowned at the image before him. He looked terrible; sunken and dull eyes, slightly paled skin, and his bones showed through. He looked dead, like a skeleton. Each rib protruded from his chest, and there was a dip at the bottom of his rib cage. He hadn't eaten for days, and was surprised that his stomach hadn't burned a hole.

Malik was awfully skinny. There was nothing in his stomache, he hadn't eaten for a while. Why? There wasn't any food left in the house. He wasn't allowed out into the world, so he couldn't go grocery shopping. Mariku didn't help either. The darker half didn't need to eat, he was a spirit after all, and wouldn't get anything for him. Malik depended on Bakura and Ryou for survival. The two felt sorry for him and wished they could do something about it. They didn't dare consult Mariku, even Bakura was afraid of what the demon might do. They would secretly bring Malik some food, but not everyday. If they were visiting every day of the week, Mariku would become suspicious.

The hikari walked back to his bed and sat down. The matress sunk slightly, due to his light weight. There was nothing he could do now but to sit and wait for Mariku to return.

--------------------

The sound of a door closing drifted down to Malik's ears. The hikari suddenly jolted up from his sleep. Was Mariku home? Did Bakura come with him? Hope shone in his eyes as he heard a small conversation start upstairs.

"_Mariku... Can I see Malik?_" Ryou asked in a tiny voice.

"_I'd rather you not-_"

"_Are you telling MY hikari what he can't do?_"

There was a slight pause in the conversation.

"_He's probably downstairs in his room..._" Mariku mumbled.

Malik smiled, something he hadn't done for weeks. He jumped up excitement as Ryou opened the door to the basement.

The white haired teen suddenly found himself slammed against the floor. He gasped for air, as it was knocked out of his lungs. He looked up to see a very happy Malik. He gently pushed his friend off and sat up, breathing heavily.

"Don't...do that." he said inbetween breaths, "I'll die one day if you're not careful."

"Sorry, Ryou," Malik said, "I'm just glad to actually see someone. Mariku hasn't let me out for a while, and there's absolutely nothing to do around here."

Ryou could do nothing but smile and nod understandingly. He felt sorry for Malik. Mariku had complete control over the hikari's life. Ryou understood Malik, but to a certain degree. Bakura was also a bit...protective, so Ryou didn't have as much freedom as he use to. But at least Ryou knew that Bakura cared for his well being. As for Malik... It was probably a different story.

"Thanks." Malik sat down on the bed and ate some of the food in the bag. He didn't eat much though, his stomache couldn't handle it. He stored the rest of the food under his bed, hoping that Mariku wouldn't find it. He watched sadly as his friend had to go. Just before Ryou had reached the top of the stairs, he turned around and waved good-bye, a sympathetic smile on his face.

'_At least there's someone who cares..._'

--------------------

School...something Malik absolutely despised. But education was a necessity in this world, and no one would survive without it. Besides, the government wouldn't let Malik drop out yet... Because of this law, Malik had to go to school. Mariku didn't approve of the rule however, since he didn't want his hikari out of the house, but there wasn't anything he could do about it.

It was a Wednesday, the worst day of the week, or so it was in Malik's mind. Wednesday, a day located in the very center of each week. Always the most exhausting and most boring day. Wednesdays meant having all four core-subjects in the morning, followed by a rigorous class of physical education. To top that day off, there was a class of the oh so infamous English class. Why he had to take English as a language course, he didn't know. Afterall, Malik did know how to speak and write Japanese fluently, and his first language was Arabic. Did he really need to know English?

History class that day was long and painfully boring. Malik shifted in his seat for the seventh time since the class started. The professor was giving a lecture on the American Revolution, and how it had affected North America as a whole.

'_Is this information really needed to make a living in Japan? Why do we need to learn about America, if we're all the way on the other side of the globe?_'

He was the first to sprint out of the classroom when the lunch bell rang. He didn't want to stay in that classroom any longer. Malik quickly stuffed his books in the locker and changed his shoes for outdoor ones, then ran off down the hall. He purposely passed the cafeteria; he didn't want to buy a lunch, yet he didn't bring a lunch either. He just wasn't hungry. Malik slowed to a slight jog as he neared the school field. He stopped completely to sit against a shady tree just off of the field. He sat, enjoying the silence of the air, until students started filing out; having finished their meals.

He frowned once again as he saw Mariku and his crew come out of the large building. They came out laughing and chatting, disrupting the steady silence that had engulfed the setting before. The group seemed to be heading towards the Egyptian boy. The tiny flame of hope buried deep within him glimmered brightly. Maybe they had noticed him and wanted to talk to him. His hopes fell as he saw Jounouchi steer the group away from him, casting him a nasty look. Mariku only smirked upon seeing the frown deeply engraved onto his hikaris face, then moved on with his friends.

Malik grieved for company. He's been alone ever since his yami had befriended the group. His dulled eyes stared out onto the open field. He caught a glimpse of Ryou and Bakura, both were headed his way. But the two stopped short and looked past Malik. He turned around and saw that Mariku was sending the two death glares. Bakura looked at his hikari nervously, sighed, then dragged Ryou sulkingly away from Malik. Ryou watched his friend through sad eyes, wishing there was something he could do.

'_He's changed..._'

Malik stood up, his eyes lowered to the grass below. Hands in his pockets, he walked away from the tree that previously had supported him.

'_He only used to be a voice at the back of my head... But ever since he's been given the oppertunity to live life again, he's been causing havoc in my life._'

He walked in the direction of the group of friends. His motions slowed as he saw the group stop their conversation and look at him with utter disgust. Whispering ensued among the group. What were they talking about? Him? He ran. He ran quickly past them and out onto the streets, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He wanted to go home. He didn't care about the school rules, he just wanted home.

'_Can't they just leave me alone?_' Malik laughed half heartedly in his mind. Leave him alone? They have already left him alone by himself.

Pain and suffering. What could be done to relieve himself of the horrid feeling? Malik paced around the house nervously, twitching ever so often. Stress had taken over him. What could he do? What was there to do? He mumbled to himself unintellegently and paced through the building a second time. An idea struck his mind and he headed for the kitchen.

'_Where are they?_'

Malik panicked as he shuffled through the drawers and cupboards. He couldn't find them. They were hidden somewhere. Where were the knives? He was sure they had some in the house. Malik continued his frantic searches until he heard mockery. That familiar voice was mocking him again. That voice deep inside his mind; the one that's been there ever since his father's death.

"_Can't find them, can you hikari?_" Malik's voice rung throughout the boy's head.

So he hid them. The yami had known that Malik was going to do what he had intended to do. Malik clutched his head as his yami's cynical laugh floated through his mind. Why did he have to do this? Why did Mariku have to make him suffer? What has he ever done to deserve such punishment?

'_Please..._' Malik thought as hot tears slipped down his face, '_Why are you doing this? Can't you just end it all?_'

The corner of the kitchen was his sanctuary for the next few hours. Dulled and unfocused lavender eyes stared out, occasional tears still forming from them. Malik's lips moved quickly, mumbling to himself. His mind was being tortured slowly, the mocking laughter of his yami still echoing. The boy didn't even notice his darker half walk by and kick him harshly in the stomach. He was completely lost in the midst of his confusion, pain, and intolerable sufferings.

--------------------

Days passed, quickly turning to weeks. Malik hadn't moved much since that day. He would get up and walk around for a bit, but would quickly retreat back to his little secluded corner. Ryou had stopped by a few times, worried that Malik might do something horrible. Mariku would scowl at his visits, but let it pass. After the fifth visit that week, Mariku got fed up.

He harshly kicked his hikari in the head.

"You useless being! Get up and act civilized for once!" he shouted.

Malik flinched from the pain and stared at his yami. Confusion submerged deep within his lavender orbs.

"Don't look at me like that!" the darker half shouted again, "Don't pretend to be hurting! Stop faking it all. You only want attention because you have no friends." 

Malik still hadn't moved from his spot.

"Get up! No one really cares for you, kid. They're only being polite. The only reason Ryou and that Tomb Robber check up on you is because they felt sorry for you. They can't stand seeing you so messed up!" There was an awkward silence between the two before Mariku began his ramblings again. "Just face it, hikari. You don't have any friends, and you probably won't ever make any. You were probably never meant to have any friends!" with that the yami stomped off.

Malik was left alone, to ponder his yami's words. Was it true? Did they only feel sorry for him? Malik curled up and held his head again, another unpleasant feeling taking over his senses. Insecurity. All these feelings, forming against his mind. How much more could he take? Pain, suffering, humiliation, confusion, and now insecurity. All mixed together, forming a harmful venom to his heart. It hurt. It hurt badly.

He withered in pain, grabbing hold of the table for support. He couldn't take it anymore. All those years of pain; from his yami, and even from his own father. Humiliation from feeling like an outcast, and confusion. Confusion from the world around him. And the new feeling, insecurity. The boy tried to rid himself of such feelings. As hard as he tried, he couldn't shake it off.

...Stress.

The final ingredient for the perfect poison. Each ingredient had been gathered throughout his life, slowly building, until the toxin was boiling perfectly. Stress overcame Malik's senses, and knocked him down onto his back. The final element had been acquired.

--------------------

A sudden scream of agony caught Mariku's ears. He jerked himself up from his bed and hurried down the stairs. He looked around, panicking, and then headed towards the kitchen. He was shocked at the sight before him.

Malik was sprawled out on his back, fidgeting madly. He seemed to be pinned down my something that couldn't be seen. His limbs were trembling greatly. Each of his nerves were twitching and jerking at his muscles in the most unnatural way.

Mariku could only watch in complete horror as his hikari experienced the great pain. He had no clue as to what was happening to the boy. He held his breath as he saw Malik lying, suddenly still. He didn't.....did he? The spirit of the Sennen Rod paced around anxiously, not knowing what to do. He did what his mind told him to do, call Yami. But when Yami and the rest of the group arrived, they found that Malik was gone. He had experienced death.

---------------------------**-------------------------

_Two Years...._

Two years. Two long years. Each day, waiting in the shadows until his former yami arrived. Each day, watching as each ingredient of the poison was gathered in his mind. It had taken two years for Mariku to gather all the elements needed for the poison, but eventually he did gather them all. And now Malik watched, from the shadows, as the poison attacked.

Mariku was to have the same fate has his hikari. Malik had decided so. Having died prematurely, he (his soul) was granted a certain 'privilege'. He was allowed to decide the fate or destiny of one person he had encountered during his life. He had chosen his yami.

'_Mariku, my dearest yami. You get this special oppurtunity to live my life. You get to feel what I have felt. Do you like what I felt? Do you like the feeling of being poisoned?_'

Mariku's body was stilled. The look of pure pain was written all over his face. Malik only smirked before dissolving into the shadows.

----------------------------------------

**Nadako:** END! END! END! ...eh..that is, unless you want more...Do you?   
**Mikalai:** OMG! That was gruesome! *covers eyes*   
**Nadako:** o . o yes...I'm surprised I actually wrote that... =.= I guess I was pretty mad...   
**Mikalai:** Che... You were practically swearing at the world today!   
**Nadako:** ^^; eh...right... REVIEWS?

_**TELL ME** if you want me to write one more chapter, explaining what happened afterwards. If I get enough people saying yes...then I will write another one. If not...*shrugs* tough._

_Thank's to... for reviewing this story:   
Fendris Mhareyl   
Meriah   
Mina   
Nodoro Bru_


End file.
